Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-05-20
To the Memory Of Ray Irving
Barnard.
BY SIMPSON ELY.

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1 have heard many theories; but
never heard one that satisfies me,
or that l can believe the true one.
Some have said, "God knows,
that if shey live, they will be sub
ject tc some great temptation, and
will fall and be lost. He removes
them in infancy to save them from
destruction" Were this true,
why does he not remove all who
are subject to temptation that
they may be saved? Where is
there man who has arrived at
the age of manhood who has not
been subject to great temptation? ?
God does not SO deal with us.
Temptations are IN the world
and God demands that we meet
them bravely, and over come them.
Here is the moral battle of Ar
mageddon and it is an irrepressi-
BILE conflict. God does not take
us from temptation, but he gives
us grace to overcome if we put our
trust i'll the Lord. Jesus prayed,
81 pray not that thou shoulds' t
take them out of the world; but
that thou should'st keep them from
the evil one." Thus, according to
the Saviour's prayer, it is not
Gods plan to take them from the
world; but while they are in the
midst of evil He will keep them
from it. The very temptations of
life, rightly resisted, will lead to
mans highest development. We
know not the stuff we are made of
until we are tempted. Then this
cannot be the reason why our little
children die. Beside all this, it
would make God respecter of
persons. For why should he re-
move some children from this
world to prevent them being lost,
while 80 many others are per-
mitted to grow up to manhood and
tread the pathways of sin and go
down to an endless death? Why
not take away all those who will
have any tendency to sin, and only
permit those to live in this world
who will always be above wrong
doing? Why not treat all the
children who are pre-disposed to
wickedness impartially and take
them all to heaven before this
pre-disposition is ripened into
actual transeression? Why not?
Is God partial? Is he respecter
of persons? Hear these Scriptures
and let them answer our question:
For God is no respect,r of per-
sons; but in every nation he that
feareth God and worketh right
eousness is accepted of him. "
"For there is no respectof pei sons
with God" Then we must seek
elsewhere for the cause of the
death of little children.
Does God take them away in
order to chastise the parents be-
cause of their sinfulness? I have
heard this taught again and again;
but [ do not believe it. It would
greatly modify the lofty concep-
tion which 1 desire ever to enter
tain concerning Jehovah and his
attributes of justice, love, and
mercy. There is no such imputa-
tion against his character in all
the word of God. There are many
reasons why such a doctrine
should not be taught in the Bible,
and these have only to be stated
in order to commend themselves to
every heart.
First: If the parents are sinful
and living in rebellion against
God, then the punishment should
fall upon them and not upon an
other. If l put my hand into the
fire it is [ that must suffer the
penalty. This is Gods natural
law. If we may know how God
deals in natural law, then may we
know his dealings in the world Of
spirits; for he is unchangable, "the
same yesterday, to-day and for
ever" Gin whom is no variable
ness, neither shadow of turning"
Hence if transgress moral law I
must suffer the penalty. Can God
be just, and merciful, and let me
go free while he inflcts the pun
ishment upon a wholly disin-
terested person? Let them be-
leive it who may; but the very
thought is repulsive to me and
does violence to all the views I
entertain toward God and his in
finite goodness.
Second: If God kills the child
in order to make the parents bet
ter, then is involved the hideous
doctrine of compelling the inno-
cent to suffer for the guilty. This |
cannot be. Shall God be more un-
lust than man? Let us carefully |
examine this thought. Suppose a
Judge is presiding over court
when his own child is being tried
or some great crime. He is con-
'icted, but the judge, instead of
sentencing him to Imprisonment,
selects some innocent boy in the
courtroom, sentences him and lets
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